Focaccia by Vasiliki Troufakou

A Mediterranean treat for everyone

FOCACCIA INGREDIENTS

400 g flour
300 ml water (adjust so that the dough has the desired sticky consistency)
5 g yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
Plenty of oil (adjust to taste)
rosemary, fleur de sel, pepper, cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, and cherry tomatoes to top the focaccia – depending on how you like it

Given my limited free time and the fact that my mother’s a fantastic cook, I find that I often don’t give my own love for cooking the time and space it deserves. What I enjoy most of all though, is making big breakfasts and dough-based foods! Focaccia is a favourite of mine.

I start by adding yeast to lukewarm water and feeding it with some honey. I wait to see if it starts bubbling (to make sure that the yeast is still alive, it’s not always certain).

Then I add some oil and salt and gradually start adding flour until it has the desired sticky consistency. Using a special nonstick plastic spoon, I mix the dough until sticky and then I let it rest for an hour. After that, I knead it with my hands. In all honesty this stage is less kneading and more folding the dough over with my hands. I stretch and fold the dough repeatedly.

I’ll repeat this process three to four times. After that, I transfer my dough to a 30 by 40 cm baking tray. Using my fingers, I gently spread the dough over the tray and set it aside to rise for another hour. Once sufficiently risen, it’s time for the most fun part: sticking your fingers into the dough to pop any excess air bubbles.

Focaccia is a blank canvas for ingredients. Anything goes here, from pesto sauce to cherry tomatoes, grated cheese, and rosemary – the ideal herb for focaccia – and of course, flaky salt. I bake it in the oven at 200 C on convection for about half an hour, until it turns golden brown. Before baking, I make sure to add plenty of olive oil.

It’s the secret to the focaccia’s crispy texture! I remove it from the oven, let it cool, and then I dig in. It’s always a challenge not to eat it all by myself on the same day. That’s usually how it goes.

Vasiliki Troufakou – Actor